Where will you find Swayambhu Ganapati and Mahaganapati ?

Contents

Swayambhu Ganapati, the famous Ganapati idols in India and Mahaganapati

1. Three and a half seats (piths) of Ganapati in Maharashtra

2. Eight Vinayaks (Ashtavinayaks) in Maharashtra

3. Twenty-one seats of Ganapati according to the Purans

4. Twelve famous Ganapati idols in India

5. Mahaganapati


Swayambhu Ganapati, the famous Ganapati idols in India and Mahaganapati

1. Three and a half seats (piths) of Ganapati in Maharashtra

No Name Place District
1 Moreshvar, Mayureshvar Morgaon Pune
2 Mangalmurti Chinchvad Pune
3 Mahaganapati Rajur Jalana
4 PravaLganesh (half a seat) Padmalay Jalgaon

2. Eight Vinayaks (Ashtavinayaks) in Maharashtra

The eight Vinayaks are famous. The eight powers (ashta-siddhi) are the consorts of Ganapati. Each of the eight Vinayaks have become famous as being representative of one power. The eight Vinayaks are also associated with the eight directions.

No Name Place District
1 Moreshvar, Mayureshvar Morgaon Pune
2 BallaLeshvar Pali Raygad
3 Varadvinayak Mahad Raygad
4 Chintamani Theur Pune
5 Girijatmaj Lenyadri Pune
6 Vighneshvar Ojhar Pune
7 Ganapati (Mahaganapati) Ranjangaon Pune
8 Gajamukh Siddhatek Ahmadnagar

3. Twenty-one seats of Ganapati according to the Purans

Name Place District/State
1. Moreshvar, Mayureshvar Morgaon Pune
2. Chintamani Theur Pune
3. Ganapati Ranjangaon Pune
4. Girijatmaj Lenyadri Pune
5. Ballaleshvar Pali Raygad
6. Gajamukh Siddhatek Ahmadnagar
7. Chintamani Kalamb Yavatmal
8. Sharmavighnesh Adasa Nagpur
9. Vidnyanganesh Rakshasbhuvan Jalana
10. Mahaganapati Rajur Jalana
11. Bhalchandra Gangamasale Parbhani
12. Lakshavinayak Verul (Ellora) Aurangabad
13. Pravalganesh Padmalay Jalgaon
14. Ahundivinayak Kashi Banaras
15. Omkar Prayag Alahabad
16. Bhrushundiganesh Namalgaon Bid
17. Vighnaraj Vijaypur Andhra Pradesh
18. Vinayak Kashyapashram Near Kashi
19. Mangalmurti Ganeshpur Bangal
20. Shvetvighneshvar Near Kumbhakonam Tamilnadu
21. Mangalmurti Pariner Near Ujjain

4. Twelve famous Ganapati idols in India

Name Place Name Place
Vakratunda Madras Vighnarajend Near Kurukshetra,
Ekadanta Bangal Dhumravarna Kerala
Krushnapingaksha Madras Bhalachandra Near Rameshvar
Gajavaktra Orisa Vinayak Kashi, Banaras
Lambodar Ganapatipule,
Maharashtra
Mahaganapati Mahabaleshvar,
Maharashtra, Gokarna
Vikat Himachal Pradesh Shrigajanan Himalaya

5. Mahaganapati

Ganapati along with Ruddhi-Siddhi [Divine Energy (Shakti)]. 'The Ganesh created by deity Parvati is an incarnation of Mahaganapati. She sculpted a form out of mud and invoked Ganapati into it. Before the creation of the universe, since The Supreme God (Mahat) principle existed in an unmanifest and eternal form, it is called Mahaganapati. When Mahaganapati is worshipped for attainment of the Final Liberation (Moksha), it is customary to choose a Ganapati idol with the trunk curved towards the right. But in such circumstances, as far as possible the idol is made of earth. Rarely does one comes across gold and silver Ganapati idols with the trunk curved towards the right'.

'It is believed that every male deity has a specific Energy (Shakti), for example Brahma – Bharati, Vishnu – Lakshmi, Shiva – Parvati. Thus it is not surprising that devotees of Ganapati believe in one Energy of Ganapati in the Parabrahman form. There is a sculpture which portrays Ganapati embracing His Energy, seated on His lap. Even today one can see such paintings. So also, sculptures with "Siddhi" and "Buddhi", His two consorts seated on either side of Him are also available. In the science of Tantra, Ganapati along with His Energy is referred to as "Mahaganapati".'

Reference : Sanatan Sanstha's Holy text 'Ganapati'

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